Just Another Day
by TheWordMistress
Summary: Kate and Rick face many challenges as a married, crime-fighting duo and they have found they just have to take things one day at a time.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I do not own Castle or any of it's characters. I am just borrowing them for a while.**_

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Chapter 1

"Stop it Castle!" said Kate to her husband of almost a year as they stepped off the elevator and into the bullpen.

"Come on Kate." Castle whined as he took another swipe to grab her cell from her hand. "Let me read it."

"No. Alexis sent the test to me and she obviously wants me to read it and not you." Kate said as she shoved the phone into her pocket.

"Mom and Dad fighting already this morning?" asked Esposito.

"We aren't fighting, Espo. We are just having a difference of opinion as to whether or not Castle should be able to read a text that Alexis sent to me." Kate said as she grabbed the cup of coffee from Esposito's hand.

"Hey. That was mine." he whined.

"Get yourself another." Kate said as she took a sip of the liquid gold. "Mmmmmm." she moaned. "This is really good this morning. Ryan make it?"

"Yeah." said Esposito as he sulked off to get himself another cup.

"What did she want?" Castle asked, not giving up on finding out the content of the text.

Kate just stared at him and shook her head. "Sometimes she just wants to talk to me about things, girl related. There is nothing wrong, Rick. She just needs some advice. That's all. After all, I am her stepmother now."

Castle let out a big sigh and flopped down into his chair that butted up against the side of Kate's desk. "Fine." he breathed out. "But you would tell me if there was something seriously wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would but there isn't so let it go and let's get on with our day." Kate said as she switched on her computer.

Castle sulked for a bit more then came alive when Kate's phone rang.

"Beckett." she said.

Kate listened and nodded a few times before motioning to Castle for a pen. _Where did all hers go?_ She scribbled down an address then said, "We'll be there in about 15." and hung up.

"We've got a body." she called to Ryan and Esposito who were still in the break room drinking coffee.

"Where?" they asked.

"The old warehouse on 111th. The caller said the perp was still inside." she told her team.

"We're on it." Esposito said as he retrieved his gun from his desk drawer and slid it into his shoulder holster.

"We're right behind you, Beckett." said Ryan as he too retrieved his gun.

"Lets get this party started." said Kate as she snapped the top of her hip holster closed.

"What about me?" asked Castle.

"Come on." said Kate. "Bring your vest."

Castle grinned his 1000watt smile and jumped up from his chair and retrieved his _WRITER_ vest from her bottom drawer and ran after his wife and her team.

They arrived, on scene, about 15 minutes later and thought they saw movement on the fourth floor of the old warehouse. They entered cautiously and saw the body lying at the foot of a staircase and another staircase was seen at the opposite side of the building.

"Espo, you check the perimeter and see if there is any means of escape from the outside. Ryan, you take this staircase and I will take the one on the far side. We don't want this perp to get away." Kate said in a whispered command to her team.

"On it." both of the guys said and took off.

"What should I do?" asked Castle.

"I want you to wait outside by the car. This could get a bit messy and I don't want you caught in the crossfire." Kate said as she stretched up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He returned the kiss which left her a bit dizzy and said, "Be careful. I love you."

"Love you too, Castle. Now get going." she said, her head still a bit swimmy.

Kate could hear Ryan making his way up the staircase opposite her and could hear Esposito outside. She made it to the landing on the second floor when she heard a noise directly above her.

"NYPD!" she shouted as she began running up the stairs.

She heard a scrambling and began to run even harder, knowing the perp was above her. She took about three more steps when everything around her began to spin and her vision began to dim. The next thing she knew, she was falling onto the stairs, her head connecting with the edge of the metal step above her, then she knew no more.

"NYPD!" shouted Ryan as he aimed his sidearm on the perp's chest. "Down on your knees with your hands behind your head."

The perp made like he was going to run but stopped when he saw the menacing form of Esposito round the corner with his gun pointed at him as well.

"Fine." he grumbled as he sunk to his knees and placed his hands behind his head.

"We got him, Beckett." Esposito shouted and waited to hear back from her.

"Beckett!" Ryan shouted.

They waited and heard nothing.

"What did you do to her?" Espo shouted into the face of the perp as he grabbed him by the collar and threw him to the ground.

"I didn't do nuttin' to no one." he said.

"You better not have." said Espo with a sneer.

"I'll look for her." said Ryan and he took off in the direction of the staircase Beckett was using.

"Beckett." he called as he descended. "Beckett, where are you? Can you hear me?"

Silence, except for the sound of sirens heading toward them and boots running up the stairs where Esposito still had his gun trained on their perp.

Ryan rounded the landing of the third floor and as he started down to the second, saw her lying motionless on the stairs.

"Beckett!" he shouted and raced to her. He could see blood dripping down through the grating on the step and yelled for Esposito to call for a wagon.

Esposito let the uniformed officers take the perp and raced to where Ryan was.

"What happened to her, bro?" he asked as he knelt beside Ryan who was trying to arouse Beckett.

"I don't know but there's blood dripping from the step. I think she must have hit her head when she went down." Ryan said.

"Has she moved at all?" Espo asked as he grabbed Beckett's wrist and felt her pulse.

"No, bro, and I don't want to move her in case she hurt her neck but that looks like a lot of blood dripping from her head. Where's that wagon?" Ryan said.

Just then they heard the sound of wheels rolling across a concrete floor and began yelling for them to come up the far staircase to where they waited with a still unconscious Beckett.

The ambulance crew arrived along with a white-faced Castle.

"Kate." her name came out of him in almost a whisper. "What happened to her?"

"We don't know, bro. Kev found her like this after we apprehended the perp on the fourth floor. We looked around and called for her without a response and this is how we found her." Espo explained.

"Who are you, sir?" the crewman asked Castle.

"I'm her husband." Castle replied.

The crewman shook his head then said, "You can stay but you'll have to keep out of our way so we can help your wife."

"Yes. Of course." Castle replied.

"Has she said anything or moved at all?" one of the ambulance crew asked.

"No." Ryan said. "She's been like this since I found her. I didn't want to move her in case she hurt her neck but she's bleeding pretty bad. She must have hit her head on the step."

The crew bustled around and produced a cervical collar which they carefully slipped around Kate's neck then turned her over, with the help of Esposito and Ryan, and laid her on the landing to assess her.

Castle gasped when he saw the blood smeared across her forehead and down the left side of her face. He also noted how pale she was and became instantly terrified.

"Looks like she hit right above her left eye. It's a pretty big gash and will definitely require stitches." the crewman said as he pressed a wad of gauze to the cut over Beckett's eye.

"Why isn't she waking up?" asked Castle, voice shaking.

"She probably has a moderate concussion." the crewman said. "We'll know more when we get her to the hospital. Her vitals are a bit on the low side and her left pupil is a bit sluggish but that is to be expected with a head injury like hers."

"Will she be alright?" Castle asked, his face almost as white as Kate's.

"Time will tell." the crewman said. "Does she have any medical conditions we should be aware of?"

"She, um, was shot in the heart a few years ago but other than that, she's very healthy." Castle said.

"Okay. Thanks." the crewman said. "Let's get her loaded and to the hospital."

Castle ran down the stairs behind them and clutched Kate's limp hand as they wheeled her to the ambulance.

Just as they were ready to load her in, she blinked a few times and opened her right eye.

"Welcome back, Kate." Castle said with a smile as he kissed her hand.

"Wha? What happened?" she asked as she lifted her other hand and gingerly felt the bandage on her head.

"We were hoping you could tell us, ma'am." the crewman said. "Be careful not to pull your IV out. We have fluids running. Your blood pressure was a bit low."

Kate looked at the back of her left hand and nodded then winced when a pain shot through her skull from the movement.

"What is it, Kate?" Castle asked.

"I think I need to throw up." Kate said as her color turned from white to green.

The crew just got her rolled onto her side and a bag under her chin when she vomited the contents of her stomach into the bag.

"Feel better?" Castle asked as he wiped the corners of her mouth with his handkerchief.

"Not really." Kate said, giving him a weak smile.

"What happened, Kate?" he asked. "You were fine when I left you. What happened in the next few minutes that caused you to end up face-down on the stairs?"

"I don't know, Rick." she said hoarsely. "I can't remember."

"What is the last thing you remember, ma'am?" the crewman asked as they loaded her into the back of the ambulance.

Kate thought for a minute then said, "We entered the building and...and...I can't remember. It all sort of goes black after that."

Castle looked at the crewman as he sat down beside him on the bench in the ambulance and again grasped Kate's hand.

"It's not unusual for the last few moments before a traumatic head injury to be forgotten. The memories may come back or they may not. Only time will tell." the crewman said.

"Did we get him?" Kate asked Castle.

"Oh yes. Ryan and Espo caught him on the fourth floor and he's probably being booked as we speak." Castle said.

"Hey girl." Lainie's voice came from outside the ambulance. "What the hell you think you're doing?"

"Hey Lainie." Kate said as she tried to look at her best friend.

"I come here to pick up a stiff and almost end up with tow for one. What are you doing?" she said.

"I wish I could remember." Kate said as she turned green again and motioned for the barf bag.

Castle got it there just in time as she again vomited. This time it was only stomach fluids and a bit of coffee.

"Damn, girl. You did it up good." Lainie said as she stepped in to check on her best friend before she was whisked away.

"Guess so." said Kate, embarrassed that she had just vomited in front of her friend.

"You be good and listen to the doctors and writer-boy here. I'll be checking on you later, girlfriend." Lainie said as she placed a kiss on Kate's forehead.

"I'll try but no guarantees." Kate said as she again motioned for the bag.

"You better get her out of here." Lainie said to the crew. "She needs tending to."

"Yes ma'am." the young man said to Lainie as she stepped out of the ambulance and shut the doors behind her. "Just another day."

Within moments they were racing down the streets of NYC, sirens blaring, to the hospital where they would hopefully find out what caused Kate to black out and if any permanent damage had been done when she struck her head on the step.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: I don't own the show or the characters. Just this story.**_

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Chapter 2

By the time they arrived at the hospital, Kate was again beginning to drift into unconsciousness. Castle and the crewman kept trying to get her to talk to keep her awake but with each blink of her eyes, they remained closed longer and longer until they remained shut.

"Kate." Castle said as he gently squeezed her hand.

"Hmmm?" she responded, eyes still closed.

"Open your eyes, Kate. Look at me." he said as he squeezed her hand harder this time.

"Stop it Castle." she murmured. "That hurts." Her voice was becoming a bit slurred which worried the crewman that she might be bleeding into her brain.

"Open your eyes and I'll stop squeezing your hand." he retorted as the crew unloaded her from the ambulance and wheeled her into the Emergency Room.

"Are you two always like this?" the crewman asked.

"Always." Castle said with a slight smile. "That's what makes us such a great team."

"You'll need to talk to the lady at the counter while we get her situated and talk with the doctor." the crewman said as he pointed to where Castle needed to go. "After she's settled, someone will be out to get you and let you know what's going on."

"Okay and thanks." Castle said as he held out his hand and briefly shook the medic's.

Castle followed the arrows on the floor to admitting as Kate was wheeled back into a bay in the emergency room. Castle could hardly concentrate on where he was going because of his concern for his wife and partner.

"May I help you, sir?" a friendly elderly woman in a red jacket asked.

"What?" Castle asked as he was pulled from his thoughts.

"May I help you? You seem a bit lost." the kind-faced woman said.

"Oh, yes, thank you. I'm looking for admitting. My wife was just brought in and I need to see a lady about getting her admitted." he said.

"Right this way." the lady said as she latched onto his arm and lead him down the hall.

"Thank you." he said when she deposited him in a chair by the registration desk.

"May I help you, sir?" the lady at the desk inquired.

"Um, yes. My wife, Detective Kate Beckett, was just brought in by ambulance and I was told I needed to come and register her." Castle said.

"She's the head injury?" the woman asked.

"What? Yes. She was brought in with a head injury." he said.

They went through all the questions about birth date, marital status, address, insurance, and some basic health related questions until they came to one question in particular.

"Any possibility that your wife may be pregnant?" she asked.

Castle froze in his seat. He knew they had foregone protection since their wedding night and nothing had happened as of yet. "I don't know." he said.

"Are you actively trying to get pregnant, Mr. Castle?" she asked.

Castle blushed then said, "Kate stopped the pill when we got married but nothing has happened as of yet. So I guess you could say that we are trying."

"So, you've got an active sex life?" she asked.

Castle's blush deepened to a darker shade of red as he remembered that just that morning he and Kate had made love shortly after the alarm had gone off and then again in the shower.

"Mr. Castle?" the woman asked.

"Oh, um, yes. We have an active sex life." he said.

With this information, she called back to the nurse in charge of Kate and suggested they perform a pregnancy test before any x-rays or CT scan were taken just in case.

After a few more questions, Castle signed the forms and was instructed to remain in the waiting room until someone came out for him.

He used this time to call Kate's dad, his mother, and Alexis to tell them where they were and what had happened.

Jim Beckett arrived at the hospital about 20 minutes after Castle called him and began demanding to know what happened to his daughter.

Castle tried to calm him down but he knew Jim was having flashbacks to when Kate had been shot and his nerves were on edge.

"What happened to her, Rick?" he demanded for the nth time.

"We aren't sure, Jim. She went in the building and gave instructions to Ryan and Esposito then told me to wait outside for them and took off for the stairs on the opposite side of the building. What happened between her kissing me and when Ryan found her on the stairs, no one knows. She couldn't remember what happened either."

"You talked to her?"

"Yes. I rode in the ambulance with her but by the time we got here, she was beginning to lose consciousness again. The doctors are working on her and they haven't told me anything yet."

"She...she didn't get shot again, did she?" Jim asked.

"No. As far as we can tell, she fell and hit her head on a metal step. We don't know what caused her to fall, though." Castle said as he laid a hand on his father-in-laws back.

All of a sudden the doors from the outside flung open and they heard, "Oh Richard, whatever happened? Is Katherine alright?" Martha asked as she flung her arms around her son's neck.

"We don't know for sure, Mother. Kate has a head injury and will need stitches above her left eye but other than that, I don't know." he said as he helped his mother sit down next to Jim.

"Thank you for coming, Martha." Jim Beckett said as he laid his hand on hers.

"Of course, Jim. I love Katherine very much and will always be here for her." Martha said as she squeezed his hand.

"I know Katie thinks a lot of you as well. Ever since her mom died, she hasn't had a female role-model in her life until she met you." he said.

Martha blushed at the compliment and said, "I don't know how much of a role-model I am but I love her as if she were my own."

Jim went to reply when the doors opened and a person in green scrubs appeared.

"Family of Katherine Beckett-Castle." he said.

Rick, Jim, and Martha all jumped to their feel. 

"That would be us." Castle said as he hurried over to the man. "How is she?"

"Well, she sustained a nasty cut over her left eye that required 10 stitches to close. Don't worry, I had the plastics guy do it so there will be minimal scarring." he said at the look of horror on their faces. "She also has a pretty bad concussion. I'm sending her for x-rays and a CT of her brain to be sure there is no fractures or bleeding and I want to keep her, at least, overnight for observation."

Castle, Jim, and Martha all nodded in agreement then Castle asked, "When can we see her?"

"Come with me and you can have a few minutes with her before they take her for her tests. We will let you know her room number and you can wait there until she comes back. The tests may take a while, just depends on how busy they are. I flagged her as a priority but..." the doctor said.

He lead then through the doors and down the hall to a dimly lit bay and allowed them to go in.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Jim asked.

"The light was bothering her eyes so we dimmed the lights. It is a common reaction after someone had suffered head trauma. Light causes neurons in the brain to fire and the patient feels a lot of pain. Darker is better." he answered.

Just before he went in, Castle turned to the doctor and held out his hand. "Thank you for everything. She means a lot to all of us."

The doctor took Castle's hand, shook it, and said "My pleasure. I hope she is up and about in no time."

Castle chuckled and said, "Knowing my wife, as soon as she is done with these tests, she will be demanding to go home, headache or not."

"Try and talk her into staying, if you can. She really does have a bad concussion and we need to observe her overnight." the doctor said.

"I'm on it." Castle said before he disappeared into Kate's room.

Jim and Martha were on either side of Kate and holding her hands when Castle approached.

"Hey." he said to her.

"Hey yourself." she said, groggily.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I went 10 rounds with Layla Ali and lost miserably." she slurred.

"I bet you do. You have a huge lump over your left eye and quite a shiner forming. Want me to take a picture to show you?" Castle asked as he whipped out his phone.

"No Castle." she said as she tried to turn her head away from him. "When can I go home?"

"And so it begins." he muttered under his breath.

"You have to go for some tests, Katie." her father said as he rubbed his finger over her cheek.

"Then can I go home?" she asked as she felt the nausea beginning to rise.

"I'm afraid not, darling." Martha said. "They need to keep you overnight. You took a hard blow to the noggin and they want to observe you overnight. Sorry, kiddo."

"But you, Rick, and Alexis will be at home with me." Kate whined. "I want to sleep in my own bed." She swallowed several times.

"I know you do, sweetheart, but if anything should happen, it could end up very badly before we could get you back in here." Castle said as he leaned down and brushed a kiss on her lips.

"Will you stay with me?" she asked.

"Always." he said.

Just then, there was a knock on the door and someone came in and flipped on the lights.

Kate hissed in pain as the lights glared in her eyes.

"Turn those off!" Jim demanded, hearing his daughter in obvious pain.

"Sorry sir." the young man said as he hurried to turn off the lights. "Let me get a towel for over your eyes, ma'am before I take you out into the hall and down for your tests."

"Thank you." Kate murmured as her brow furrowed in continuing discomfort. "Bucket!" she yelled.

"Can't they give her something for the pain?" Martha asked as she rubbed Kate's shoulder while Rick frantically searched for something for his wife to vomit in.

"Sorry ma'am but we can't." the nurse said apologetically as she entered the room to unhook Kate's IV before she went for her tests.

"Why not?" Castle and Jim asked at the same time.

"She is still very nauseated and we don't want her vomiting." the nurse replied.

"Too late." said Kate as she threw up in the garbage bag Rick found and slid under her chin just in time.

"Can't you put something in her IV?" Castle asked. "She's in a lot of pain here."

"I understand, Mr. Castle, but with a head injury such as your wife has, we can't give her any narcotics because we need to be able to accurately assess her level of consciousness to be sure she is not getting any worse and if she has narcotics in her system, we won't be able to tell." the nurse explained.

"Alright. Thank you." Castle said as he wiped Kate's mouth and chin for her.

The transport just returned with a towel for over Kate's eyes and one by one, her family kissed her and promised to be waiting for in her room when she returned.

She waved a lazy goodbye and was off, still nauseated and in extreme pain.

As they rode the elevator to the third floor and to Kate's room for the night, Jim said, "It just kills me to see her in that much pain. Katie's a tough one and never likes to let anyone know when she is in pain or doesn't feel well, so if she's making noises and flinching, you know she's in some serious discomfort."

"Don't I know it, Jim. Remember when she sprained her ankle about 6 months ago? She was determined not to limp but after a day of trying not to, she had no choice because it had swollen to twice it's normal size. Only then did she allow me to get her some ice and elevated it." Castle said as they entered Kate's room to wait.

"Believe me." Jim said. "She's been like that since she was a little girl. Her mother used to get so angry with her because she would go to school when she was sick and Johanna would get a call to come and get her. Made her feel like she was a bad mother."

"Katherine is one tough cookie. That's for sure." Martha said. "Is anyone hungry? I feel like a walk and could bring something back for us, if you would like."

"I want to stay here and wait for Kate but here's some money. I'd like a sandwich and a coffee. Thank you, Mother." Rick said as he handed her some bills.

"I'll come with you, Martha." Jim said. "I don't wait well."

"Neither do I. Allows me to think too much." Martha said at the pair left the room, leaving Rick to his own thoughts.

Down in x-ray, the tech was getting Kate positioned properly and began asking the pre-testing questions. Kate answered no to all but one. That was when the tech asked, _Any chance you might be pregnant?_ Kate wasn't sure. She and Castle had been far from careful but she hadn't gotten pregnant so far and she was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

"Mrs. Castle?" the tech questioned. "Any chance you might be pregnant?" she repeated.

"I'm not sure. I guess I could be but I don't know. My husband and I haven't been very careful since we got married."

"How long have you been married?"

"About a year."

"I see." the tech said and looked in the computer to see if a rapid pregnancy test had been done. None showed up so she said to Kate, "Let's just error on the side of caution and put this lead shield over your abdomen just in case."

"Sounds good to me." Kate said, her mind drifting back to the question. She couldn't remember when she last had her period. Though, to be fair, she was doing good to remember her name right now. Her head pounded, she was nauseated as hell, and she ached all over.

"Hold real still for me, Mrs. Castle." the tech said, drawing Kate from her thoughts.

Kate heard some clicking and a couple of buzzes and pretty soon, she felt a presence at her side.

"All done." the tech said. "Here's the towel for over your eyes. Take care."

"Thank you." Kate said and just as she was about to be wheeled off to her next test, she gasped and said, "I'm going to be sick."

The x-ray tech hurried and grabbed a basin in time for her to heave, once again, into it.

"I'm so sorry." said Kate as she held the towel over her eyes. "I am just so sick."

"Don't worry about it, Mrs. Castle. You have a serious head injury and nausea with vomiting is to be expected." the tech said.

She thanked her again and was then wheeled to CT where she answered all the same questions and the same precautions were taken as she laid there for her CT scan. This was a bit more noisy and the sounds made Kate's head hurt even worse.

They were about finished when Kate cried out. "Oh no. I'm going to throw up again." Then vomited all over the floor.

"I'm so sorry." she cried as the crew came in to clean up her mess.

"Don't worry about it, ma'am. It's just another day." the custodian said.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thank you for your support. This is my first fanfic.**_

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Chapter 3

Kate arrived to her room where Castle had been pacing a hole in the floor. He couldn't imagine what was taking so long. He just wanted her there so he could hold her hand and try to soothe the pain she was in. It killed him to think she was alone when she was suffering so much.

"Mr. Castle." the transport guy said, drawing him out of his contemplations. "Could I have you step out for a few minutes while we get your wife situated in bed?"

"Of course." Castle said as he scurried to the door and exited, giving Kate a quick kiss on the lips as he went by.

"Oh, Rick. You shouldn't have done that. I just threw up and my breath has to be horrible." Kate said as she was moved into her room, recognizing the feel of his lips on her own as she still had the towel covering her eyes.

"Nothing I can't handle, Kate." he said. "I'll see you in a few. I love you."

"I love you too." she said as the door was being closed.

Jim and Martha arrived back on the floor in time to see Rick coming out of the room, Kate being wheeled in, and the door being shut.

"How's Katie doing?" Jim asked.

"She's talking a bit better than she was earlier but she said she threw up before they brought her up here. I didn't get to talk to her much. They're getting her settled in her bed then we can go in." Rick said.

The door to Kate's room opened and they were told they could come in.

The trio entered the darkened room to find Kate lying there with her eyes closed and brow furrowed and her swallowing repeatedly .

"Head hurting? Nauseated?" Castle asked as he kissed her on her forehead.

"Yeah to both." she breathed out, eyes still closed. "Wasn't too bad til they moved me and now it feels like I have a pep-rally taking place in my skull and my stomach is churning something terrible."

"What can we do for you, Katie?" Jim asked his daughter as he reached out and laced his fingers in hers.

"Just you being here is enough for me, dad. Thanks." she said as she opened her right eye and looked at her father as she gripped his hand in return.

"Whatever you need, kiddo, just ask and we'll do our best to get it for you." said Martha as she kissed Kate on the cheek.

"Thank you, Martha, but right now all I want to do is sleep. My head hurts. My neck hurts. My whole body hurts to be honest and I am so nauseated I can't stand it." Kate said as she looked at each member of her family. "Where's Alexis?"

"She had class but will be here as soon as it's finished. She's very worried about you too, Kate." Castle said as he looked into his wife's non swollen eye and grimaced.

"Do I look that bad?" she asked.

"Well...um..." Rick stammered.

"Come on, Castle, spit it out. I'm a big girl." she said, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

"Okay, yes, you do look that bad. Your left eye is swollen shut, you have a huge shiner forming that is half way down your cheek, you have a huge bandage on your forehead, there is blood in your hair, and"

Kate cut him off. "Okay, I get it. I'm a wreck."

"Well, you asked." Castle said defensively.

"I know, babe." Kate said as her eye drifted shut.

"I'm going to take off, Katie." said Jim. "You have Rick call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Sure, dad. I love you." Kate said as her father kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you too, Katie." her father said.

"I'm going to take off too, darling. You are in good hands and I'm hoping to see you back home tomorrow. I love you, Katherine." said Martha as she too kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Martha. I love you too. I'd like for you to see me at home tonight but I don't think I'm going to be able to talk them into letting me go." Kate said with an attempt at a smile which turned into a wince as a pain shot through her head.

"Take it easy, kiddo." Martha replied then she and Jim left the room.

Rick pulled a chair up to the right side of her bed, sat down, and took her hand in his. "Seriously, how are you feeling?" he said to his wife.

"Horrible. Absolutely horrible." she said.

"You must really be feeling ill for you to admit that." Rick said as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I can't move without getting nauseated and throwing up. You know how much I hate to throw up." she said as she gave his hand a squeeze.

"Yes, I do know. Has anything come back to you yet?" he asked.

"Nothing." she said.

They sat in silence for several minutes. Castle thought Kate had fallen asleep and didn't want to wake her if she had. All of a sudden, she broke the silence.

"Rick?" she questioned.

"Yes." he replied.

"Do you think you could lay down with me and just hold me?" she asked.

"Of course." he said, his heart breaking at how small her voice sounded right now. "As long as it doesn't make you ill."

"I'll chance it. I just need you to hold me." she said as she gently and slowly scooted over to make room for him in the tiny bed.

Rick kicked off his shoes and, as easy as he could, slid in beside her and wrapped her in his arms. "Better?" he asked.

"Much." she answered then drifted off to sleep, Rick not far behind her.

Some time later, there was a timid knock on the door then a voice was heard saying, "Dad? Kate? Is it alright for me to come in?"

"Alexis. Of course you can come in." Rick whispered as he looked at his daughter over the still sleeping form of his wife.

"How is she, dad?" Alexis asked.

"Her head is killing her, her left eye is swollen shut, she has 10 stitches above it, she has a bad concussion, and the slightest movement makes her nauseated then she throws up. Other than that, she's great." Castle said as he gave his daughter a little smile.

"Poor Kate." the young woman said as she looked at her battered stepmother. "What happened to her? Did someone attack her?"

"No one knows for sure. She can't remember anything from when we entered the building til she woke up in the ambulance." Rick replied.

"God. That must be frightening to not be able to remember." Alexis said with a shudder down her spine.

"Alexis?" Kate's groggy voice said. "Is that you?"

"I'm here, Kate." she said to her stepmother.

"Good. Sorry you had to come in here to see me. I am undercover. We should have a barbeque then make some balloon animals. Now, take your father home so he can get some rest. He needs to get ready for the Halloween party. He's been at the precinct all day and needs to go home. I just have these papers to finish." Kate said.

Castle and Alexis just looked at each other.

"Has she been like this all day?" Alexis asked, concerned.

"No. No she hasn't." Castle said. "I think we need to get the nurse."

Alexis jumped up from her chair and ran into the hall for the nurse. A few minutes later, they arrived back in the room to find Castle trying to keep Kate from getting out of bed.

"But I have a report to finish. You know Montgomery will have my head if it's late." they heard her say.

"What report and who is Montgomery?" asked the nurse.

"She's a detective with the NYPD and Montgomery was her captain. He's been dead for several years now." Castle said as he continued to struggle with his wife.

"Oh dear." said the nurse. "I need to page her doctor. What else has she been doing?"

"She was asleep and when she woke up, she was talking crazy and now is trying to get out of bed." Alexis said as her father continued to struggle with her stepmother.

"Kate." Castle said. "Kate!" he said louder.

This seemed to trigger something in her and she stopped struggling and collapsed back onto the bed, eyes closed and brow furrowed in pain.

"Oh god, Castle. I'm going to throw up." Kate said as she felt her stomach convulse and the bile rise in her throat.

Castle grabbed the basin by her bedside and slid it under her chin just in time to catch the fluid gushing out of her mouth.

"Ugh." she moaned as she laid back onto her pillows. "I wasn't doing anything and I threw up. This sucks so bad."

Castle gave her a look and she looked from him to Alexis and asked, "What?"

"Well. You have been talking a bit crazy. You have been trying to get out of bed because you insisted that you needed to go and finish a report before Montgomery had your head." Castle said as he rubbed her arm.

"Montgomery?" Kate questioned. "He's been gone for years. Are you sure I said Montgomery? I bet I was saying Gates. She's more frightening than he ever was. What crazy things was I saying?"

"Sorry, sweetheart, but you said Montgomery and you were talking about a barbeque and Halloween." Castle said softly.

Kate relaxed back into her pillow and stared at the ceiling, wondering what was happening to her. She wished she could remember what had happened that resulted in her being stuck in the hospital with a blazing headache and a sketchy memory as to what had occurred today.

"You alright, Kate?" Alexis asked tentatively as she approached her stepmother's bed.

"Hey sweetie." Kate said as Alexis approached her. "When did you get here?"

"Well, I, um, have been here for a while." Alexis stammered.

 _Oh!_ Kate mouthed as she laid back and closed her eye again.

Kate was just gathering the courage to apologize to Alexis for her bizarre behavior when the doctor entered the room and began flipping through her chart.

"So I hear you have been having some memory issues, Mrs. Castle." the doctor said as he stopped beside Kate's bed.

"Um, I guess. I don't remember what I said but my husband and daughter said I was talking crazy and trying to get out of bed. I can't remember a thing." Kate said, feeling foolish.

"Don't let it worry you, Mrs. Castle. Things like this are normal after a head injury. This is one of the reasons why we wanted to keep you overnight. Other than the, um, crazy talk, anything else you are concerned about?"

"I can't move without getting nauseated and vomiting. Also, my head is killing me. Can I get something for it?" Kate asked.

"Unfortunately, the nausea and vomiting upon moving is common after a severe head injury. As for the pain, again, it is unfortunate but we can't give you much of anything because we need to be able to properly assess your level of consciousness."

"So I just need to grin and bear it." Kate said flatly.

"Unfortunately, yes." the doctor replied. "Have you been out of bed yet? Have you used the bathroom since you've been here?"

"The answer to both questions would be no." Kate said.

"We need to get you up and check how your balance is. I know you will become ill but it is a necessary test, especially if you are to go home tomorrow morning."

"Then, let's do this." Kate said as she flung the covers off of herself, winced, and held out a hand to her husband.

"Are you sure about this, Kate?" Castle asked as he grabbed her hand then slipped his free arm around behind her.

"As sure as I will ever be." said Kate as she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and attempted to stand.

She swayed and her knees started to buckle but she clenched her jaw, even though it made her head throb even more, and forced herself to stand.

"Not bad for the first time, Mrs. Castle. Do you think you will be able to walk to the restroom then back to your bed?" the doctor asked.

"Yes." Kate said through gritted teeth and it sounded more like _yesh_.

She took a tentative step and clutched onto Castle even harder. She wobbled but remained on her feet. She continued to take small steps until they reached the restroom and Castle helped her into the toilet where she promptly threw up into the sink. After resting for a few minutes, he helped her make the trek back to her bed and into it before grabbing the basin for her to heave into.

"God!" she moaned. "Who would have thought going to the bathroom would qualify as an Olympic sport?"

Castle chuckled. "It's good to see you haven't lost your sense of humor."

"My mind, yes. My sense of humor, no." said Kate as she laid her head back and concentrated on not getting sick again.

The doctor made a few notes in her chart then said, "If you are able to do that a few more times tonight and if you are able to keep down a light breakfast in the morning, I can't see why you couldn't go home in the morning."

"But what about my memory?" Kate asked.

"Your memory of what happened may or may not come back. You never know." the doctor said as he turned for the door.

"Hey doc." Rick said as the doctor went to leave.

"Yes, Mr. Castle." the doctor said.

"Thank you for everything and for taking such good care of my wife."

"You are very welcome."

Alexis finally spoke up. "Now that you seem to be better, Kate, I think I will head home."

"Okay, sweetie. Sorry if I scared you." Kate said as she held out a hand to her stepdaughter. "Be careful going home and call me when you get there so I know you are safe, alright?"

"Sure thing, Kate." Alexis said then hesitated like she wanted to say more.

"What is is, Alexis?" Kate asked.

"Did you mean it that you consider me to be your daughter?" the young woman asked, eyes wide.

"I meant every word of it." Kate said as she grabbed Alexis' hand and pulled her down for a hug. "I couldn't love you more if I had given birth to you myself. You mean as much to me as you do to your father."

"Thanks, Kate. I love you too." said Alexis with tears sparkling in her blue eyes that were the same color as her father's.

"Don't forget to call when you get home." Kate called to Alexis as she walked into the hall with her father.

"I will." Alexis called as she linked arms with her father and headed to the elevator.

"Do you think she will be alright, dad?" Alexis asked.

"I hope so, pumpkin. I hope so." Castle said as he kissed his daughter on the temple. "Don't forget to call."

"I won't. Love you, dad." Alexis called as the elevator doors closed.

"Love you too." he called before heading back to his wife.

"I'm sorry to put you through all of this today, Castle." Kate said as he resumed his position beside her in the bed.

"Just another day, Kate." he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Just another day."


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Thank you all for supporting this story. Please feel free to leave a review with any suggestions or things you would like to see happen. Thanks again.**_

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Chapter 4

Kate awoke in an unfamiliar bed with very familiar arms wrapped about her. She blinked and wondered why her head was throbbing, her left eye wouldn't open, and why she was so dreadfully nauseated. She lay there for a while, taking in her surroundings before some of the events of the previous day came flooding back to her. The accident or whatever had happened. This is why she felt like she had been used as a tackling dummy for the NY Giants. She stirred slightly, trying to ease the ache in her head and the churning in her stomach. Her movement woke her personal heater.

"Hey." Castle said as he opened his brilliant blue eyes and looked at her. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Kate was almost afraid to speak due to the rising bile in her throat. She coughed a few times then cleared her throat before giving him a tentative smile and saying, "Like I've been run over by a fleet of Hummers that backed up and ran over me again."

"That good, huh?" he said with a smirk then leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips.

Kate's color turned from a rosy pink to a lovely shade of green and she clamped her hand over her mouth and motioned for him to get the basin so she could vomit. He, once again, got it under her chin just in time. She heaved several times before letting out a groan and laying back on her pillow.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Not really." she said as she wiped her mouth with the tissue he offered her. "This nausea just won't let up. I think it's almost worse than the headache."

Castle thought for a minute then said, "I'll bet if the headache would go away, the nausea would too. If the pain is that intense, it is sure to make you ill."

Kate mulled this over then said, "I think you may be right, but the headache isn't going to go away anytime soon. Apparently, I have a bruise on my brain."

Castle chuckled. "With a brain as large as yours, it surely will take a long time to heal."

"Haha." Kate said. "Think you could help me to the bathroom again? I feel the urge starting and as long as it's taking me to move, if I wait, it may just be too late."

Castle eased himself out of the bed, careful not to jostle her too much, walked around, offered her his arm to pull herself into a sitting position with, then wrapped his other arm around her hand assisted her to standing. After several episodes of dizziness and a few dry heaves later, they slowly made their way to the bathroom.

Kate finally got a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the bathroom and groaned.

"Kate. Are you okay? Do I need to call a nurse?" Castle said as he hurried into the little room where he found his wife clinging to the edge of the sink, groping for the jar of mouthwash.

"More like call the undertaker." she said. "I've seen week old corpses that look better than I do. Why didn't you tell me I was such a train wreck?"

"I tried to yesterday but you..." he said then caught the glare she was giving him and changed tactics. He cleared his throat and said instead, "No matter what, you will always be beautiful to me."

Kate let out a small laugh then said, "You are so full of shit, Castle, but thank you. I love you too. Nice recovery by the way."

He kissed her on the temple and offered her his assistance back to the bed.

"Do you think I will be able to go home today?" she asked after another round of dry heaves upon returning to bed. "I think I might just go crazy if I have to stay in here another day."

"Well." he said. "I think a lot depends on how your memory is and also how nauseated you are."

She blew out a breath that let him know she was less than pleased about the prospect of having to stay another day.

"Your memory seems fine. You weren't disoriented at all when you woke up this morning. Your biggest nemesis right now is the nausea. If we can get that under control, you should be home in time for today's episode of _Temptation Lane._ " he said knowing the soap was her secret passion on daytime television.

"That would make my day complete." she said as she pulled him down for a kiss.

About 30 minutes later, a woman arrived with a breakfast tray and set it in front of Kate. The smell of the food alone was causing her stomach to churn but she smiled and thanked the woman and with a determined face, removed the cover and picked up her fork.

Castle had just returned from the cafeteria with a cup of coffee and a styrofoam container full of his own breakfast when he heard sobbing coming from Kate's room. He hurried inside to find her heaving the small amount of breakfast she managed to eat into the basin.

"Hey. What happened?" he asked as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"I thought I could do it but my stomach won. I'm never getting out of here today." she said as a fresh wave of tears leaked from her eyes and down her cheeks.

"Here's what we'll do." Castle said conspiratorially. "I will wash out this basin then eat your breakfast so when the doctor comes along, it will appear as if you finished it yourself. That way we can take you home. What do you think?"

Kate looked at him with so much love in her non swollen eye that it made him go weak in the knees. "You would do that so I can go home?" she asked.

"Of course I would. I think you will heal faster and better surrounded by love and familiarity than you will in a sterile, institutional place like this." Castle said.

She only thought a moment more then said, "Do it. I have to get out of here. I want my own clothes, my own bed, my own couch, and my own family."

Castle raced into the bathroom and after several flushes and turns of the water knobs, returned with a sparkling clean basin and sat it on her nightstand. Then he made quick work of her breakfast and had just swallowed the last bite and opened his container when the doctor arrived to check on Kate.

"Good morning, Castles." the doctor said. "How are we feeling this morning?"

"She slept well and when she woke up, she wasn't disoriented at all." Castle said between bites of his food.

"Any nausea and vomiting?" he asked.

"Just a bit but nothing I can't handle." said Kate. "I did go to the bathroom and back faster than I did yesterday."

"How about the headache?"

"It's still thumping but as my husband pointed out, I have a very large brain so it is a lot of bruising that needs to heal." Kate said, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

The doctor thought about what she had said then burst out laughing. "That's one I haven't heard before. Very good, Mrs. Castle."

"Hey." whined Castle. "That was my idea."

Both Kate and the doctor laughed. Kate's a small chuckle and the doctor's a deep belly laugh.

"There's just one more thing I have to check and I'm guessing it won't be very pleasant for you." he said.

Kate looked worried and began chewing on her bottom lip as she asked, "What do you have to do?"

"I need to check your pupils to see how they react to light. Your right eye won't be a problem other than the sensitivity to light you've been experiencing. The problem is going to be your left. It is swollen so badly that I'm going to have to try and pry it open to get a look. Not only will this hurt from the light sensitivity but it's going to hurt that gash over your eye." he said.

"Oh." Kate said then looked at Castle to come and hold her hand while this torture took place.

Immediately he was at her side and after many grunts, groans, and yelps, the exam was over and Kate laid there sweating, 1000 times more nauseated than before, and definitely in worse pain.

"I'm so sorry to put you through that, Mrs. Castle, but I had to be sure your pupils reacted properly before I signed your discharge papers. We wouldn't want to send you home with any bleeding on the brain," the doctor said.

By this time, Kate was so nauseated and was fighting so hard to keep from vomiting in front of him that she just waved her hand in acknowledgment and hoped he would leave soon so she could throw up.

The moment he left, Castle charged over and slid the basin under her chin.

"Thanks." she moaned. "He almost killed me with that exam."

"Yeah." said Castle. "I don't think I will be able to type again for about a week. Good thing I'm ahead of schedule with the next Nikki Heat book."

"You aren't going to put this in the book, are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"This? No way. It has been far too scary of an ordeal to relive in my book. This one is just for us." he said.

Kate was quiet for a moment then said, "Could you call Alexis or Martha and ask them to bring in my NYPD sweats and zip-up hoodie? I just remembered that I don't have anything to wear home and I don't think that pulling something over my head is a very good idea."

"Good thought." Rick said as he pulled out his cell and speed-dialed his daughter.

Alexis answered on the second ring and instead of saying hello, she yelled into the phone, "Is Kate alright? Has she gotten worse? When will she be able to come home?"

"Calm down, Alexis." Castle said patiently. "Kate is doing as well as can be expected and I'm calling to see if you will gather up her NYPD sweats and zip-up hoodie and bring them in so she has something to wear home."

"Kate's coming home! This is fantastic. Yes. Of course I will get them. I'll be in as soon as I can." Alexis squealed into the phone. "Tell Kate that I love her and will see you soon."

Castle hung up and looked at his wife. "Do I need to repeat any of that or were you able to hear it all first-hand?"

Kate let out a small sound, half way between a groan and a chuckle and said, "No. I heard everything just fine. She's such a great kid."

"She sure is." Castle agreed.

About 20 minutes later, Alexis arrived with a bag of clothes for Kate along with some socks and her sneakers.

"I thought you might need these." Alexis said as she put the items on the bed.

"Thank you so much, sweetie. I never thought about shoes. I was more worried about clothes." Kate said as she kissed Alexis on the cheek.

Alexis blushed a shade of red almost as brilliant as her hair and kissed Kate back.

"Do you think you could pull that curtain then help me get changed?" Kate asked.

"I can do that." Alexis said and hurried to pull the curtain.

They got Kate's socks and sweatpants on first then Alexis put her shoes on and tied them so she wouldn't slip on the floor when she stood to have her pants pulled the rest of the way up. This wasn't too bad but Kate needed several minutes and many gulps of air to keep from vomiting from the movement.

"I'm sorry, Kate." Alexis said as she watched her stepmother turn green then back to a shade of pink that was not quite her normal color.

"You didn't do anything, sweetheart. I get nauseated when I move. It's the concussion doing it, not you." Kate said as she rubbed Alexis' arm. "Now, let's get this awful gown off and my hoodie on so I can get the hell out of here."

"Oh no." said Alexis.

"What's wrong?" Kate asked.

"I forgot a bra for you." the young girl said.

"That's quite alright. I think I can manage without one for today." Kate said with a smile.

They finally got her changed into her clothes, the doctor came in with her instructions, Castle signed all the necessary forms, and Kate was loaded into a wheelchair and rolled down the hall to freedom, vomit bucket in hand.

The ride home was pure torture. The brightness of the day was killing her and she heaved several times before the car came to a stop in front of the loft.

"Will you be needing assistance taking Mrs. Castle up to your apartment?" the driver asked as he opened the back door.

"Thank you for the offer, Jeffrey, but I think we will be able to manage." Castle said as he held out his hand to slip Jeffrey a tip.

"Very well, sir." Jeffrey said then added, "I wish you a speedy recovery, Mrs. Castle."

"Thank you, Jeffrey." Kate croaked out, her throat was raw from the many times she heaved from the hospital to home. She kept her eyes closed as she was helped from the car and into the building due to the blinding pain it caused when the light of the day and the building shone in her eyes. Due to her head injury and swollen eye, she was unable to don either hat or sunglasses to shield her eyes from the light so keeping them tight shut was her only option. She trusted her family and knew they would allow no harm to come to her as she was lead into their home.

The ride up the elevator to their penthouse loft was pure torture and Kate leaned heavily on Castle for support. She cringed with every sway and jerk of the car and thought her head would explode when it came to rest on the top floor with a stuttered stop which caused her to heave slightly.

"Thank god that's over with." Kate said as Rick practically dragged her out of the elevator and walked her to their apartment.

"Will you be able to support yourself while I unlock the door?" he asked with concern at how weak and pale she seemed to be.

"I'll help her, dad." said Alexis as she wrapped her arm around Kate and held her tight.

"Thanks, Alexis." Kate said as held onto the girl, her eyes still firmly shut against the assault of the lights in the hall.

Rick took Kate from Alexis and helped her to the couch where laid her down then quickly ran around the loft, closing the drapes on the floor to ceiling windows.

"You should be able to open your eyes now." he said softly as he knelt down beside the couch. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Just make sure there is a bucket beside me." Kate said as she looked at him then stroked his cheek with her long index finger. "I think I just want to lay here for a while and recover from the ride in the car and elevator. Maybe in a bit, we could try some ginger-ale and crackers or something."

"Whatever you want, Kate, you just name it." Rick said as he brushed a kiss on her forehead. "Want a blanket?"

"Please."

"I'll be right back." he said as he hurried off to their bedroom and grabbed the micro fleece one he knew she loved to snuggle under then came racing back and draped it gently over his now sleeping wife.

"Is Kate all settled?" Alexis asked as she returned to the living room from her upstairs bedroom.

"She's sleeping." Castle said as he steered his daughter into the kitchen for a bit of lunch.

"That didn't take long for her to go to sleep." Alexis said as she looked toward the couch.

"The ride home and the ride in the elevator took a lot out of her." he said. "I expect for her to sleep a lot over the next several days. We just need to make sure that she doesn't sleep too long at a time."

"Why's that, dad?" Alexis asked.

"The pamphlets all say that other than at night, a person with a head injury should be awakened every 2-3 hours just to make sure that they aren't slipping into a coma or something like that." he said.

"That sounds frightening." said Alexis. "You don't think that will happen to Kate, do you?"

"I certainly hope not. I would be lost without her." he said as he looked at his wife.

"So would I, dad." Alexis said as she laid her head on her father's shoulder, her gaze in the same direction as his.

About 2 hours later, Kate awoke on her own, vomited into the bucket, and called out to Castle for help getting up.

"Kate." he said as he came skidding into the living room from his study. "I didn't know you were awake."

"I just woke up and, um, got sick. Sorry." she said.

"That's why I'm here." he said as he grabbed the bucket and slid it behind the couch to be cleaned later. "To wait on you, hand and foot." He added a dramatic bow which earned him a smile from his convalescing wife.

"Um, do you think you could help me into the bathroom?" she asked, going pink in the cheeks.

"Of course, sweetie. Just let me go and close the drapes and I'll be right back." he said as he took off.

The journey to the bathroom was an uneventful affair except for a stop by the garbage can for Kate to _use_ then he helped her back to the couch and retrieved her some saltines and ginger-ale so she could try and soothe her stomach.

"Thank you for everything, Rick." she said as she took a small sip of the cold, fizzy liquid. "I know it's been one hell of a day for you and it's not even close to being over."

"Nah Kate." he said with a smile as he sat down beside her on the couch and offered her a saltine. "It's just another day."


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Thanks for reading.**_

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Chapter 5

A couple days later, Kate was making fair progress toward healing and recovery. Her eye was still swollen shut and the purple bruise that covered half of her face had turned an even darker shade but there was a lightening around the edges which indicated it was beginning to resolve as well. She still was experiencing bouts of nausea and vomiting when she moved but they were lessening and she was even able to sit up for a while before needing to lay back down.

On the morning of the third day that Kate was home, she awoke to find the bed beside her empty and after sliding her hand over the sheets and pillow, found them to be very cold, indicating that Castle had been up for a while. They continued to keep the loft darkened because her eyes were still light sensitive but there was just enough for her to make out the time on the big clock on the wall. 10:30 it read. Kate experienced a moment of panic and went to jump out of bed, thinking she had overslept and was late for work, when a wave of pain and nausea hit her and she laid back down groaning in the process.

"Kate!" came Castle's voice as he burst through their bedroom door. "Are you alright? I heard a groan."

Kate swallowed a few times before speaking. "I forgot I was on sick leave and saw the time and went to jump out of bed and..." The splashing of stomach juices in the trashcan finished her sentence for her.

"Oh Kate." he said as he sat down on the bed beside her and rubbed her back. "You have been doing so well the past couple days. I was hoping this vomiting had passed. How does your head feel?"

She looked up at him, left eye just opening a slit, and said "Hurts like hell but it always does after I puke."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he inquired.

"Help me to the bathroom?" she asked.

"I can do that." Rick said with a smile and stood to help his wife to her feet.

Kate stood then swayed once or twice before getting her balance. She held onto his arm with a grip like iron but Rick said nothing. The pain she was inflicting on him was nothing compared to what she was going through.

Between the two of them, they managed to get Kate to the bathroom and into her robe then out to the kitchen without incident.

"We did well this morning." Kate said as she reached up and stroked her husband's cheek.

"Yes we did." he said as he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head then pulled her into his chest for a hug.

Kate returned the hug and Rick could feel her relaxing into him for the first time since she had come home. Pain and nausea were always present and he could feel how rigid the posture was that she had been maintaining to help keep them at bay. With feeling her relax, Rick was hopeful that she was truly beginning to recover.

"You hungry?" he asked after hearing a noise coming from her stomach.

Kate let out a small laugh then a sigh and said, "My body is telling me I am but after what happened a little bit ago, my head is screaming no, and with how my head feels, I want no screaming taking place inside of it right now."

"Want some toast? That shouldn't be too hard on you." Rick said as he loosened his grip on her and looked into her face.

Kate bit her bottom lip, thinking, then said "I guess. Just one piece. I don't think I could handle two."

"Your wish is my command, milady." Rick said with a bow. "Would you like anything on it?"

"Just butter and a bit of that raspberry jelly. That sounds best to me right now." Kate replied.

"Any coffee, tea, juice?" Rick asked.

"Mmmm..." Kate said as she laid her head on her arm that was resting on the counter top, "I think just some tea this morning. I'm not up for much else."

"You look beat already, Kate." Rick said as he laid his hand on her back and began to rub gently. "Why don't we take you to the couch and you can rest while I get your breakfast."

Kate's eyes were already beginning to drift shut then she lifted her head and said, "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. I just hate being so tired all the time."

"You're healing from a serious head injury. It's going to happen for a while." Rick said as he helped her off the stool and to the couch. "Remember what the doctor said?"

Kate looked at him and started to shake her head then thought better of it and said, "Not really. Everything is still pretty sketchy."

"Well, I remember." he said. "He told us that you would be feeling tired and lethargic for up to two weeks and maybe even longer. He also said that when you felt like that, you should sleep because it will allow your body to heal. You are doing so great, Kate. I know you don't feel like you are but each day, you are improving."

Kate looked at him, skeptically, then said "If you say so. I just feel so useless right now. I don't even know why this happened. I fell up some stairs and hit my head...why?"

"I wish I could answer that for you, babe." Rick said as he covered her with her favorite blanket. "Maybe, eventually, you will be able to remember. The main thing now is for you to get better. Why don't you take a rest while I make your breakfast. Maybe you'll feel better after you get some food into you."

"Okay, Maybe you're right. I promise to stay put until you return." Kate said with a smile.

Rick hurried back to the kitchen and began making Kate's toast and tea. While he scurried around he allowed his mind to wonder and was becoming increasingly alarmed at how things, even small things, tired Kate out so quickly. He decided that after she ate and fell asleep, he would call her doctor to find out if this was normal behavior for someone who had a severe concussion.

He returned about 10 minutes later and heard Kate snoring softly on the couch. "Wake her or don't wake her?" he asked himself out loud. He looked at her for a few seconds more, then sat the tray on the coffee table, knelt down beside the couch, and softly spoke her name.

Kate's eyelids fluttered then her right eye opened and looked at him.

"Did Alexis get on the bus okay?" she asked. "I think the dog needs to go out. My mother invited us over for dinner if we get done at the precinct in time."

Castle just stared at her.

"Rick. You alright?" she asked as she went to push herself up from the couch.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Kate. How are you?" he asked.

She furrowed her brow then said, "I have a really bad headache. I drank too much at _The Olde Haunt_ last night. Are we still going on the zip-line today?"

Rick was becoming more alarmed the more Kate spoke and he was doing his best to hide his concern from her because he knew that she could read him like she read one of his books.

"Rick?" Kate asked. "Is the baby alright?"

"Wha...What?" he asked.

"Silly writer-boy. You forgot my coffee this morning." Kate said as she pushed herself to sitting then let out a groan and clutched her head in her hands.

"Kate. I need for you to lay back down for me while I...um...go and get you some coffee." he invented quickly.

"Oh god, no. I don't want any coffee." she moaned. "I thought I asked you for toast and tea. My stomach couldn't handle coffee right now."

He saw her stomach convulsing and grabbed the basket for her.

"Okay. No coffee." He said. "You stay still for a bit while I make a call or two. This will give your stomach a chance to settle before you try to eat, alright?"

She just waved a lazy hand at him as she closed her eyes and pulled the blanket to her chin.

Rick raced into his study, closing the door but not quite shutting it completely in case Kate needed him, grabbed the phone and dialed.

On the fourth ring, a man's voice was heard. "Dr. Maseb."

"Dr. Maseb. This is Rick Castle. You took care of my wife, Kate, a few days ago in the hospital. She had been brought in with a head injury and a big gash over her left eye."

"Oh, yes. I remember her case. Detective, right?" Dr. Maseb said.

"Yes. That is her." Castle said, relieved that the doctor remembered Kate.

"How is she doing?" Dr. Maseb asked. "I gather from this call and the urgency in your voice that something has happened, am I correct?"

Castle let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Yes. Something has happened."

"Tell me." Dr. Maseb said.

"She woke up this morning and thought she was late for work and tried to jump out of bed which just resulted in her head hurting worse and her vomiting. I got her up and out to the kitchen for some breakfast and she practically fell asleep on the counter top. So I took her to the couch and laid her down while I made her toast and tea, that she requested, and when I woke her, she was talking all kinds of crazy." Rick finally paused for breath.

"What kinds of crazy, Mr. Castle?" Dr. Maseb asked.

"She was asking if our daughter got on the bus. She's in college. She said about going to dinner at her mother's tonight and several other things that didn't make any sense." Rick said.

"Were you invited to her mother's for dinner?" Dr. Maseb asked.

"That would be impossible. Kate's mother was murdered almost 20 years ago." Rick said quietly.

"I see." Dr. Maseb said. "Other than that time in the hospital, has this happened any other time? The crazy talk, I mean."

"No. She has been doing great. I guess that is why this scared me so badly." Castle said as he peeked out of the study door to check on Kate. He was relieved to see she was asleep.

"Could you bring her in for a check-up in about a half hour, Mr. Castle?" Dr. Maseb asked.

"Of course." Castle said then hung up the phone and went to wake his wife.

"I feel fine, Castle." Kate complained the whole ride to the doctor's office.

Castle gave her a look and she amended her statement.

"Alright, I feel like shit but not as bad as the shit I felt like the other day." she said as she looked at him through the lenses of her shades. Thankfully, she was able to put them on to cut the glare and keep her head from hurting any worse than it was.

"I know you do, Kate, but Dr. Maseb wants to check on your progress. He wants to see how you are recovering. You were seriously injured." Rick said, hoping she wouldn't catch the lie.

"Fine." she said with a pout and laid her head back onto the headrest and closed her eyes.

They arrived at Dr. Maseb's office and was immediately taken to a darkened exam room where they only waited a few moments before the doctor entered.

"Mr. and Mrs. Castle. How are you both today." Dr. Maseb asked as he shook hands with Rick then Kate.

"I've felt better but I've felt worse." Kate said as she removed the sunglasses that were starting to increase the pounding in her head from the pressure.

"I see." Dr. Maseb said. "How have things been going for you since you were discharged to home? Any nausea and vomiting? How is your pain? Have you been able to open your left eye at all? Have you had any bizarre or disturbing dreams that may or may not seem real?"

Kate thought for a moment about the rapid-fire questions she had just been asked, especially about the last question. "Yes to the nausea and vomiting but it doesn't seem as bad as it had been. The pain is constant. I think it will never leave. I can open my eye just a bit but what I can see is really blurry and it makes me nauseated so I just keep it shut."

Dr. Maseb and Castle each waited for her to answer the last question and when she didn't, Rick spoke up.

"You forgot the last question, Kate." he said.

"Which one is that?" she asked.

"The one about dreams. Have you been having any?" he asked.

Kate closed her eyes and thought. _Had she? Were those dreams? Her mother had been there._

"Kate?" Castle asked.

"Oh, right." she said. "I've had a few but nothing different from the usual ones. Why do you ask?"

"It seems that you had an, um, episode...for lack of a better term...this morning and your husband was very concerned." Dr. Maseb said.

"Rick? What happened this morning?" Kate asked, a hint of panic creeping into her voice.

"What do you remember from this morning?" he asked.

She thought for a moment then realized that this morning was almost a blank slate. "Nothing." she whispered as tears leaked from her eyes.

"It will be alright, Kate." Castle said as he gathered her into his arms to comfort her.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"You had another episode of talking crazy. This one went on a lot longer than the last. I was scared and after I got you settled, I called Dr. Maseb and here we are." he said as he dried her tears.

"Why is this happening?" she asked. "Why am I having these episodes? Why can't I remember what happened to me?"

"Sometimes the brain does things to cushion us from events that are too painful to remember. It is not understood why this occurs and there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to what triggers these events. As in your case, what caused your accident may be something too awful for you to remember or it might have just been an accident We may never know." Dr. Maseb said.

"But what about these episodes of me talking crazy? What is causing them? Will I do this the rest of my life? Why am I tired all the time, too?" Kate asked.

"The crazy talk is just because your brain is healing. It suffered trauma and needs time to heal. Maybe you were over-tired. Maybe you were having a dream you don't remember. I can't give you a concrete answer, only theories. As for why you are so tired, again...you suffered a severe head trauma. Rest is the best thing for it to allow healing. The nausea and vomiting will also subside as you heal."

"When can I go back to work?" she asked.

"Ah. I have been waiting for that question." Dr. Maseb said as he rubbed his chin. "Your husband told me to expect it soon."

Kate glared at Rick the best she could with one eye and he shrank back into his chair like a little boy called into the principal's office.

"Expect to be out for a couple of months, Kate." Dr. Maseb said. "You need time to heal and any blow to your head, in the line of duty, could send you right back to where you are now or even further back. This is something we need to avoid at all costs. I have spoken with your commanding officer, a Captain Gates, and explained everything to her. She agrees that you need to be fully healed and functional before returning to work."

Kate let out a sound of disgust but said nothing.

"Now, before I let you go, I need to run you through a battery of tests to try and determine your rate of healing. May I?" Dr. Maseb asked as he approached Kate and held out his hand to assist her to the examination table.

"If you must." Kate said, exasperated. "Castle." she added as she held out her hand.

He was at her side in an instant, clutching her hand.

She moaned and gasped throughout the exam and several times, Castle wiped tears from her eyes, before it was finally over.

"Again, sorry about putting you through that, Mrs. Castle. This is the worst part of having a head injury, the exams. How are you feeling?" Dr. Maseb asked.

Kate was still lying there, gasping and swallowing. "Like I need to puke." she said as she grabbed the bag being offered to her by the doctor.

Castle took it from her when she was finished, wiped her mouth, and deposited it in the bio-hazard can before helping his wife to sit up.

"Feeling any better?" Rick asked.

"I just want to go home, Rick. I need to lay down." Kate said softly as she laid her head against his chest.

"Are we finished?" Rick asked the doctor.

"I believe we are but I would like to see you back in one week, Mrs. Castle." Dr. Maseb said.

"Will you torture me again next week?" Kate asked, trying to make a joke.

Dr. Maseb smiled softly at her. "It is unfortunate but yes, I will have to torture you again next week. I am hopeful that it will not be as bad next time."

"You and me both." said Kate as she slipped her sunglasses back onto her face.

"You take care of yourself." Dr. Maseb said to Kate as he grabbed her hand in both of his. "You are healing nicely, even though it doesn't feel like it to you."

"Thank you, Dr. Maseb." she said as she shook his hand.

"Yes, Dr. Maseb." Rick added as he shook his hand. "Thank you for getting us in and tending to my wife. I really appreciate everything you have done for her...well, maybe not making her vomit, but everything else." He smiled at the doctor.

"My pleasure, Mr. Castle. It was just another day in the life of a neurologist." Dr. Maseb said as he walked out of the room.

"Shall we?" Rick asked as he held out his arm to Kate to help her off the examination table as he grabbed another barf bag from the counter.

"Definitely." said Kate as she grabbed his arm. "Take me home."


End file.
